#mesopotamia arc

[aseriesofvariousgongs]

So I've been watching all the historical sequences in timeline order and you can just SEE their relationship develop and it's actually killing me

Here's the order with episode numbers and timestamps if anyone's interested:

s2e1 0:06 - creation of the universe

s1e1 3:10 - 4004 BC garden of Eden

s1e3 0:00 - 4004 BC garden of Eden

s1e3 0:51 - 3004 BC Mesopotamia (Noah's Arc)

s2e2 0:10, 22:35, 44:09 - 2500 BC Land of Uz (Job)

s1e3 2:49 - 33 AD Golgotha (Crucifixion)

s1e3 0:32 - 41 AD Rome

s1e3 5:39 - 537 AD Kingdom of Wessex (medieval)

s1e3 7:57 - 1601 Globe Theater, London (Shakespeare)

s1e3 11:53 - 1793 Paris (French Revolution)

s2e3 8:35, 17:37, 24:28 - 1827 Edinburgh (grave robbery)

 s1e3 15:33 - 1862 St. James Park, London (Victorian)

s1e3 17:28 - 1941 London (WWII)

s2e4 5:11, 8:24, 10:10, 13:12, 36:29 - 1941 London (WWII)

s1e3 24:09 - 1967 Soho, London

#good omens #good omens season 2 #aziraphale #crowley #ineffable husbands

[flowerquib]

The Protectors

I love me some "crowley saves children and aziraphale helps" fanfics

When I posted this on twt a bunch of fanfic writers gave me recs and it was great

this is set around Mesopotamia/Noah's arc time so yee

i hate doing wings

again this is a very late post and if you want newer posts go to my other social medias oki byee

#crowley fanart #good omens crowley #anthony j crowley #ineffable husbands #good omens #good omens fanart #crowley #aziraphale fanart #good omens aziraphale #aziracrow #ineffable husbands fanart #aziraphale #protec them kids

[q-starhalo]

Welcome in fellas let me tell you why q!Bad and Crowley are so similar because I want to and because they are and you can't stop me.

[undercut ↓]

Now, we'll start at the first episode of season 2, where we see Crowley before he fell. Before the Beginning. It seems that he is tasked with making the universe where Earth is going to be planted which is a big deal honestly. How does that fit with Bad? Well, we can only guess this but with a throne with angel wings behind it and a halo like chandelier above it we can assume Bad has a higher archy angel. Not exactly an archangel but close to it (or maybe a archangel who's to say but time). Now I'm not saying Crowley was one but being tasked with the creation of the universe where Earth was going to be? Pretty big deal that I would say only a higher archy angel would have. But that information is still to be confirmed.

Now the Garden of Eden, 4004 BC. Of course Bad isn't going to meet an angel at the wall that goes around the garden and he actually arrived in 960 BC, way before 4004 BC and blah blah blah. BUT I want to point out a few lines Crowley says to Aziraphale; "I can't see what's so bad about knowing the difference between good and evil anyway" and "It'd be funny if we both got it wrong, if I did the good thing and you did the bad one". We've all mentioned how Bad chooses to be kind despite being a demon. That it's funny that he's doing good even though he's an entity that's defined as evil and dangerous. Which, yes, he is evil and dangerous but not always. The line is also supported by a good amount of actions Crowley does within the show; not killing the goats nor kids, helping Aziraphale, trying to help Maggie and Nina, etc. But he's not necessarily NICE. He only chooses to be nice from time to time. Especially with Aziraphale, someone he considers close. Just like Bad. He's only nice to those close to him and he choses to be kind to others if he wants to. He's literally known as the islands babysitter and someone you can trust. He has experienced almost everything that has happened on the island since the start.

Now let's go to Mesopotamia, 3004 BC. Noah's Arc before the flood. Crowley finds out that God had gotten angry and planned to wipe out most of the human population. Including the kids (actually one's + baby goats). Crowley, despite being an entity of evil and this being in his lots range, it's too much for even God to do. The Federation being as messed up as it is, them kidnapping their children, doing experiments on these babies, and everything else is something way out of Bad's demonic morals. He's a entity of chaos and even this is too much. For Heavens sake, even MOUSE, the Queen of Hell, finds it all too much. Too much for a demon. A war that'll end Earth. A Federation and an Island filled with horrors and chaos.

2008-ish, 11 years before the war between Heaven and Hell, the apocalypse, Crowley is assigned to deliver the antichrist. Himself. He's all for the war, but him delivering it and realizing that it's actually going to happen is another thing. Bad is all for chaos, pranks, spying, and lieing but when it comes to doing that stuff for the Federation that doesn't benefit the Island but just them, that's something else. That is something he doesn't want to do, ever. He checks every task he's given or others are given to make sure it's nothing.

And another thing. Atlantis. Bad, upon his arrival, was part of a historical event that we can confirm as the sinking of Atlantis. Killing off everyone he loved. He's haunted by it, a reason for his paranoia. Crowley was the one who had to deliver the antichrist, being the reason why Earth might've ended, a guilt throughout the years before the end times were to happen.

Now, the following will be during the week when Armageddon is to happen. The end of the world:

"I didn't mean to fall, I just hanged around the wrong people" WHEN I TELL YOU I LOVE THIS LINE. And it fits q!Bad soooooo well. "I didn't mean to fall" HE DIDN'T MEAN TO FALL. Many members have mentioned how nice Bad is, and within the story when you think about it, it shows that Bad is kind in his way. He didn't mean to be a demon. If anything, he tries to hide that fact and that he was extremely dangerous that he sunk a city once and killed everyone he ever loved. During and after the acceptance stage, Bad has given in into his messed morals and demonic nature a bit more. He had to ACCEPT his demonic nature after so long of holding that guilt of being something that killed everyone he cared for. While he still does hide the fact he's a demon, he acts more like it now. "I didn't mean to fall".

And I don't mean that q!Bad never loved having power of destruction, as if he wouldn't be gossiping with the witches during the salem witch trials knowing one of them is going to die and praying on one of their deaths. But he never destroyed, he never did anything BIG. It's only small pranks and he usually leaves a present after. He now, he's testing, he's becoming more risky, more dangerous. He didn't mean to fall but he certainly doesn't want to be an angel again if he can't have as much fun as he's having.

"But evil always contains the seeds of it's own destruction" No matter how well crafted Bad's disguise is, the seed of his destruction he made is marked on that universe. While this line isn't really directly about Crowley nor did he say it, it is directed to Hell as a whole. No matter how well made their plan for the apocalypse, for the antichrist to be delivered to the right person, to have Hell win, there's always going to be something against them. Something from their plan. And in this case, it's Bad against himself.

"I'm a demon, I'm not nice. I'm never nice, nice is a four letter word" Now, we know Bad is kind and from times admits it. But he most usually says he's hardcore, not nice. That he literally has bad in his name. However, as mentioned, the islanders see him as a nice guy despite the chaos he would sometimes cause. Crowley said the line because Aziraphale said that Crowley had some kindness deep down inside him and by God if that isn't Bad. Might've taken a bit during his first years but he's nice deep down, just more dangerous and crazy the deeper you go.

Also, 6 years before the world is supposed to end, Crowley dresses up as a Nani, and Bad's the Islands babysitter. I don't know how much more proof you need ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯

Okay thanks for reading o/

#I WANTED to add more but the post felt long enough soooooo if there's more from season 1 I'll add it through a reblog #and then I'll watch season 2 and see if I can get any other comparisons :P #also as always please correct me with anything (wording - character - etc.) #this took so long but it was worth it bye o/ #qsmp #badboyhalo #qsmp badboyhalo #erm yeah nah I won't tag it but this is also about Crowley from Good Omens!! :D

[mozillavulpix]

It is pretty funny that Kinoko Nasu's most noticeable traits when writing stories for FGO are:

worldbuilding and backstory that's probably way more complex and thought-out than it has any need to be

characters from Fate stay/night sometimes inexplicably showing up to play a role

Camelot doesn't have too much, just another version of Artoria, but Babylonia has Gilgamesh, two versions of Rin, two versions of Medusa, and...Taiga Fujimura for some reason. It's pretty wild how many new characters in that arc are actually just FSN characters who are in ancient Mesopotamia now for the flimsiest of reasons

Lostbelt 6 we get another Artoria because fair enough this is like a new take on the King Arthur story, but we also get another Shirou, another Cu Chulainn, and also that point where Caren from Hollow Ataraxia shows up for one scene and then it's never mentioned again

I guess I just find it funny because everyone treats Nasu as the guy who takes writing the most seriously but he's also just as susceptible as anyone else in Type-Moon at completely unashamedly shoving his favourites into things.

and/or putting them in swimsuits

#fgo #fateblogging #also see medb

[abandonedbraininaskinsuit]

Mesopotamia scene with Noah's arc in Good Omens. The song that plays for atleast the first 6 ish seconds, it's the ants go marching. A perfect little Easter egg considering that everyone was marching like ants onto Noah's arc.

#good omens brainrot #good omens #david tennant #micheal sheen #good omens easter eggs #im hyperfixating again

[scarlettgauthor]

A Candlenights Sermon

So five years ago a friend of mine said, "I grew up religious and I don't want anything to do with that anymore, but damn do I miss the good parts of a Christmas Eve service, like singing together and lighting candles!" and I said, "Well, what if we invent our own holiday? With singing? And candles?" and she said, "That sounds awesome!" and then we stole the name Candlenights from the McElroy brothers and I wrote a non-religious sermon and we rewrote our favorite carols to be secular and now, five years later, we have a new holiday tradition.

This is all backstory to explain what I'm about to share, which is my 2022 Candlenights sermon. Please join me if you would like to cry about space.

~~~

Hello, dear friends and dear family. We gather in the winter darkness once again, as we have for the last five years; as we have for our whole lives; as those who came before us have, on and on, back to the beginnings of people. Back to when the first monkey raised its head to look at the sky, and instead of only seeing the darkness, saw the stars.

Saw the light.

I think humanity fell in love right then, fell in love with the wide sprawl of the universe and all its secrets. Why else would we dedicate ourselves to it, as we have throughout time? Why else would we look at those sparkling lights in the velvet darkness and give them names and stories? Why would we do that, if it wasn’t to bring them closer to ourselves?

The first recorded evidence of constellations comes from 3000 BC in Mesopotamia, as our ancient ancestors sought to draw the stars out of the sky and know them better. We saw ourselves in them, and named them accordingly. "The Loyal Shepherd of Heaven," “The Seed-Furrow,” “The Farmworker.” Do you still know them? Do you recognize Orion, Virgo, and Aries? Did you know how far back our stories go?

The first telescope came in 1608, allowing us closer to the stars and the universe; allowing us to see the light we loved in greater detail, almost close enough to touch. We saw the craters on the moon; we saw Saturn’s rings for the first time; we looked at the cloudy arc of the Milky Way and learned that it wasn’t a cloud. It was more stars, each of them a tiny point of light.

America launched the first Orbiting Solar Observatory in 1962, and we could look at the stars from out there with them, as though we were one of them. We learned about gamma rays in our solar system and distant galaxies; observed solar flares from the Sun, our closest star; saw parts of stars that were previously unseeable, that we’d only dreamed were there.

The Hubble Space Telescope was launched in 1990, the culmination of twenty years of work by humans who loved the stars so much they fought through earthly concerns like budget issues and engineering mistakes; humans who were so devoted that three years later they made repairs to the Hubble in space to bring the stars closer. We saw things we could never have imagined, great beauty and great destruction, birth and death and so, so much light.

Last December the James Webb Space Telescope was launched after over twenty-five years of development, because we love the stars so much we can never be satisfied. Earlier this year we saw the culmination of that work, and oh, what a culmination. Hundreds of thousands of galaxies previously invisible to us. Nebulae we thought we knew from the Hubble shown to us in awesome detail. Stars being born among the corpses of supernovae. Stars. So many stars.

Close your eyes for a moment. Imagine the line of discovery that traces from our earliest ancestors all the way to us now. Imagine taking your ancient relative by the hand and sharing this knowledge. Imagine looking at the wide, unmapped sky together and telling them our stories, about their future descendants who loved the stars so much we found a way to go out among them.

Don’t you think that they would be proud? That no matter how far we’ve come, we still stand in the darkness and look for the light?

There’s a poem by Mary Oliver called The Summer Day. You may have heard the final lines before, as they’ve been co-opted to support hustle culture or grinding or working out or whatever else capitalism thinks it needs to sell us. I think that’s a shame, as the full poem is much kinder, and gentler, and wondrous than that. Let me read it for you now:

Who made the world? Who made the swan, and the black bear? Who made the grasshopper? This grasshopper, I mean-- the one who has flung herself out of the grass, the one who is eating sugar out of my hand, who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down -- who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes. Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face. Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away. I don't know exactly what a prayer is. I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down into the grass, how to kneel in the grass, how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields which is what I have been doing all day. Tell me, what else should I have done? Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon? Tell me, what is it you plan to do With your one wild and precious life?

My dears, what do you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? 

I plan to live the way I want to live, and love who I want to love, and always look for the light wherever I can. I hope that you will join me.

Happy Candlenights.

#candlenights #fake holiday #new traditions #i legitimately cried when I wrote it #and again when I read it #space! #I feel a lot of things about it! #I also did a lot of research #so all the astronomy facts would be right #in this house we commit to the bit

[aziraphales-library]

Do you have any good fics with some angsty Crowley during the whole Noah's Arc dilemma, preferably some with him saving children? I die for soft Crowley during this time. Anyways, I love browsing y'all's library, it's a wonderful job you're all doing :)

We have some Mesopotamia fics here, and I’ve got more now that focus on Crowley saving kids...

left you behind (just standing there) by 5ftjewishcactus (T)

The rain began and never stopped. Aziraphale stood upon the deck, watching as the waters began to rise. As he watched a figure appeared in the sky, black wings spread out as the being swooped down and grabbed a lone child about to be carried away by the water.

you could make a religion out of this by flibbertygigget (T)

In which Crowley (er, Crawly) defies the Ineffable Plan and accidentally becomes a god.

Mercy by TheGrammarHawk (T)

Aziraphale retreats into the ark to seek out Crawly's company despite the certain bad temper that awaits him. Somehow, finding the demon grieving and sick from exertion is not the most surprising revelation to be had.

He had been unable to help the humans swept away by the floodwaters, but perhaps he can still comfort the one being he's started finding himself attached to.

Oh, who adds real titles these days? by RyanWithSuperPowers (G)

“What’s all this about? Build a boat and fill it with a traveling zoo?” “From what i hear, God’s potentially wiping out the human race. Big storm.” “All of them?” “Just the locals. I don’t believe the Almighty is upset with the Chinese. Or the native Americans. Or the Australians.” “Yes...” “And God’s not actually going to wipe our ALL of the locals. Noah, up there, his family, his sons, their wives, they’re all going to be fine.” “But they’re drowning everybody else? The kids, you can’t kill kids.”

Heaven In Hiding by NuriaSchnee (E)

Aziraphale discovers Crawley's in the Ark, protecting a group of children he saved. After this, they start to meet every night in Aziraphale's room to drink, talk and have a bit of company. Soon, the angel realizes he's starting to fall in love with the demon and their meetings turn into a torment for his heart.

The Rain Keeps Falling by Bookwormgal (T)

The rain fell and the floodwaters rose. Too fast to escape completely, but slow enough to cause panic and despair before death could claim them. Because that was the purpose of the rain and flood sent by Heaven. To drown and wash away everything deemed evil, sinful, wicked, or unworthy of being saved.

The water was death for anyone unworthy of Their mercy and love. And as far as Crawly was concerned, They had made Their feelings very clear when he Fell for asking a few questions. He didn’t want to think about it, but part of Crawly feared that he was risking more than discorporation in the aggressive storm.

Somehow, he knew the water held death of a permanent nature even for him.

- Mod D

#good omens #ineffable husbands #mesopotamia #crowley is good with kids #the flood #mod d

[crematorydesire]

Fun fact, Trajan was the emperor who conquered enemy states to the point where Rome reached its greatest territorial extent, following his campaigns against Dacia and the Parthian empire. Man conquered Mesopotamia, he wasn't fucking around. He was also not of imperial descent, he was adopted into succession by emperor Nevra later in life before reigning for 19 years.

The point of his character arc as a protagonist is "what makes a leader", a lesson which later in life he will make use of to become one of the Good Emperors (actual title).

#speaking with sin #pax roma; #master trajan;

[himboskywalker]

Ugh and that comment you made about imagine how powerful he would have became and how he would have flourished had he stayed in the light and became a Jedi master? I weep at the altar of what anakin could have been and what was lost 😭

It’s the beauty and misery of his narrative arc and being in love with his character. We know from the very beginning what he becomes and yet it never stops anyone,Obi-Wan or us as the viewers,for absolutely pining over what he might have been. His very NAME Anakin is derived from the goddess Ananke,personification of inevitability and fate. We know,we know the inevitability of it all,and yet when we see his power and strength and the brief flashes of that once goodness and light it drums up this intense longing to see the man and the Jedi Master he would have become. The intensity of his light,the magnificence of his strength would have shaken empires and rewritten the narrative of an entire galaxy. It is the very archetype of a tragedy,to mourn so deeply the fall of someone who held the potential of the very stars and then embraced a fate worse than death. It’s what makes the narrative so powerful and entrenched in the zeitgeist of our culture now,the story of Anakin Skywalker,because it is a story of human history,passed down for thousands of years from the Greeks and all the way to Mesopotamia. We weep for him,we grieve as you said,at the altar of the majesty of what could have been.

#star wars #anakin skywalker #meta #Star Wars meta

[miirshroom]

Thinking about how Elden Ring serves as a Spiritual Successor to a Certain Fantasy Series

I find fascinating the lore ouroboros from reading Elden Ring in context of the Wheel of Time and vice versa. Significant spoilers ahead for Elden Ring and minor spoilers for Wheel of Time.

There's the surface level stuff like:

The Erdtree Guardians wield sword-spears and are guarding offshoots of the Tree of Life like the Aiel with Avendesora? Neat!

The previous Elden Lord fought with an axe and was succeeded by an Elden Lord who fights with a hammer and runs with wolves? Sounds a lot like the character arc of Perrin Aybarra. The Beastman of Farum Azula in Limgrave could even be a wolf brother who was "lost to the wolf"

Interesting choice to have a Commander Niall at Castle Sol, considering that Wheel of Time has Pedron Niall, the Lord Captain Commander of the Children of the Light. A villain who thinks that his cause is righteous. This has...implications...considering Miquella's connection to Castle Sol...

It gets more pointedly specific:

Raya Lucaria academy being located in a anatomically shaped body of water and governed by a woman sounds pretty similar to Tar Valon. But maybe it's just a trick of my eyes that the lake looks like an anatomical heart with the roadways and landmasses located at the major veins and arteries (I've sketched this out and it seems legit - it's an uncommonly seen angle of the heart though)

Radagon's name can be rearranged to "a dragon", is red-haired like Rand al'Thor, and his personal rune is a loose rendering of a woven Pattern - one of the central motifs of Wheel of Time. That seems a little beyond simple homage by GRRM to the works of a fellow author who he was well acquainted with (a nod from one book in A Song of Ice and Fire: "Archmaester Rigney wrote that history is a wheel, that the nature of man is fundamentally immutable. According to him, what has already happened will happen again, without remedy.").

So, what can Elden Ring be saying about Wheel of Time, a series that infamously has lingering questions that will never be answered due to literal death of the author.

There's a statue of a bearded man in the underground areas with a tablet at his feet that depicts the Imago Mundi - a real world artefact that is a map of Mesopotamia. This is implied to be the earliest age of civilization in Elden Ring just as real world civilization emerged from the river basin between the Tigres and Euphrates Rivers. This is where the ouroboros wraps back around to realizing that there may be some symbolism in Wheel of Time beginning at protagonist Rand al'Thor's home in a region called the Two Rivers.

The "Loux" in Hoarah Loux is a Germanic surname meaning "Lynx Eyed", or having sharp eyesight. The kind of eyesight that would be useful for a man out at sea navigating by the stars. The Prologue of Wheel of Time begins with the previous incarnation of the Dragon before Rand, a man named "Lews" Therin Telamon. "Theron" is a Greek word meaning "hunter". "Telamon" is the name of one of the Argonauts who sailed with Jason to find the Golden fleece. So the full name could mean "sharp eyed hunter, a seeker of the Golden fleece". It seems appropriate that Rand the 'Dragon Reborn' starts off his journey as a shepherd who tends sheep.

The Western Zodiac consists of 12 astrological signs (and sometime Ophiuchus), of which Aries is the first sign. The story associated with the constellation Aries is the story of the Golden Fleece. Wheel of Time was also supposed to be 12 books long. It was very important to author James Rigney (pen name Robert Jordan) that the series end with the 12th book - but circumstances being what they were the series eventually concluded with Brandon Sanderson writing the 12th, 13th and 14th volumes.

That's about as much as can be covered without getting really into the deep lore of Wheel of Time. I have a lot more thoughts about how both Wheel of Time and Elden Ring are thematically bound to the wheel of Vedic Astrology and invoking themes of a dreamlike collective unconsciousness (the Jungian thing). Also the alchemy stuff.

#Elden Ring #elden ring lore #Wheel of Time #media analysis #Fun note: there are Wheel of Time references in Kingsfield (1994) #There's something poetic thinking about Miyazaki and GRRM bringing full circle a story that was started by Naotoshi Zin and WoT #The FromSoft meta-narrative is terrific - in the sense of causing terror #Most impressive artistic achievement

[ckameen]

India Gate

Location: Delhi, 🇮🇳

About : India Gate

The India Gate (formerly known as All India War Memorial) is a war memorial located near the Kartavya path on the eastern edge of the "ceremonial axis" of New Delhi, formerly called Rajpath. It stands as a memorial to 84,000 soldiers of the Indian Army who died between 1914 and 1921 in the First World War, in France, Flanders, Mesopotamia, Persia, East Africa, Gallipoli and elsewhere in the Near and the Far East, and the Third Anglo-Afghan War. 13,300 servicemen's names, including some soldiers and officers from the United Kingdom, are inscribed on the gate. Designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, the gate evokes the architectural style of the ancient Roman triumphal arches such as the Arch of Constantine in Rome, and later memorial arches; it is often compared to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, and the Gateway of India in Mumbai.

#ckameen #indiagate #delhi #india #new delhi #war #warattack

[bestiarium]

The Eṭemmu and the Akkadian afterlife [ancient Akkadian mythology; Mesopotamian mythology]

What happens after you die? That question has haunted mankind for millennia, and each major religion has its own version of the afterlife. To the ancient Mesopotamians, this was Erṣetu. And no, that’s not a smudge on your screen, there’s a little dot underneath the ṣ. This name was simply the Akkadian word for ‘soil’ or ‘dirt’, implying that the underworld was a place deep underground.

Indeed, the underworld was regarded as an actual, physical place which you could theoretically reach by digging a very deep hole in the ground. It was not a different world, disconnected from ours. But, if you attempted to dig a gigantic pit, you would first come upon a vast subterranean ocean. This is Abzu, the magical “under-ocean” where Ea dwelt (a deity who played an important role in the epic of Gilgamesh as well as the Akkadian flood story. Whereas the other gods attempted the drown all humans, it was Ea who commanded Uta-Napishti to build an arc. He is regarded as a wise and mature deity among the squabbling, often selfish gods of the Akkadian pantheon). Abzu was a lush watery world with plants and – presumably – animals. 

The underworld was situated even deeper and was known by many different names, including Irkalla and Arali (which are Sumerian names for the afterlife, which were retained by the Akkadians).  

I know what you’re thinking, there is no one ‘Mesopotamian religion’. Mesopotamia was conquered by a lot of empires and each one brought their own version of the local deities and beliefs. Specifically, I’m talking about the Akkadian religion here, which incorporated Sumerian beliefs but came before Babylonia (Akkad would eventually be conquered by Babylon).

But I’m digressing. What are the Eṭemmu? According to Akkadian religion, people turn into ghosts after they die – specifically, the Eṭemmu. They were still humanoid, but had bird-like feathers all over their body and wore no clothing. These spirits lived in the underworld and had a quite miserable existence – the realm of Erṣetu was coated in utter darkness. The Eṭemmu could only eat dirt. As the epic of Gilgamesh puts it: “soil is their sustenance, and clay their food”.

There was nothing to drink in the afterlife, but the ghosts could exploit their innate connection to their physical corpse: when the corpse drank, so did the ghost. As such, ancient Akkadian graves were often equipped with a funnel for the living relatives to pour water in. This way, the deceased could quench their thirst. It was the reason why it was considered to be crucial to have lots of offspring: if you had more offspring, your family line would persist for a longer time and your descendants could pour water into your grave.

When a corpse was not properly buried, its Eṭemmu remained in the world of the living as a ghost. Also noteworthy is the existence of the Ganzir: this is a colossal staircase that supposedly exists somewhere in this world and leads down all the way to Erṣetu. In addition, the underworld was a dangerous place, for it was home to the offspring of Arali: monstrous demons that dwelled in the dark. When a human died and their soul descended to Erṣetu to become an Eṭemmu, their name was written down by Gestinana, the great scribe of the underworld. She is a Sumerian goddess and I’m uncertain whether there is an Akkadian equivalent to be honest. Regardless, she is not the only deity in the underworld: dead spirits had the company of Neti the gatekeeper, Namter the messenger and many others, most importantly the two rulers Nergal (the king of the underworld) and Ereskigal (his queen) who rule over this dark realm. Later, in the era of Babylonia, 600 different deities were said to exist in the netherworld.

All this provides a rather bleak image of the Akkadian afterlife, and the Sumerian one from which it was largely derived. However, Barrett argues that the Eṭemmu did enjoy themselves in the afterlife and their existence did not just consist of endlessly dwelling through the dust and dirt. People were buried with a variety of objects to use in the afterlife, including musical instruments and board games. Indeed, the spirits were allowed to make music, to have parties, to make art and to play games.

Sources: https://www.ancient.eu/article/701/ancient-mesopotamian-beliefs-in-the-afterlife/ The Epic of Gilgamesh, as translated by Andrew George Barrett, C. E., 2007, Was dust their food and clay their bread? Grave goods, the Mesopotamian afterlife, and the liminal role of Inana/Ishtar, Journal of Ancient Near Eastern Religions, 7(1): 7-65. Black, J. and Green, A., 1992, Gods, Demons and Symbols of Ancient Mesopotamia: an illustrated dictionary, University of Texas Press, 192 pp. (image source 1: @another_maker on Instagram) (image 2: Lamastu is dragged back into the underworld. Lamastu is at the bottom. Pazuzu the great demon is the figure holding the tablet – his power is absolute, he is disease and cold personified. Image source: bibliotecapleyades.net)

#Akkadian mythology #Mesopotamian mythology #ghosts #undead #spirits #mythical creatures #mythology #myths

[hasarjunadoneanythingwrong]

The Lovecraft gods in fgo are just convenient plot devices while at the same time being some of the dumbest servants to exist. Abby as a foreigner? That kind of works I guess. My main gripe with the Lovecraft gods is how the entire fucking foreigner class is reserved for them and their hosts/avatars/toys. Imo Arc and others should have been foreigners. Also, on a sidenote/rant continuation, why is Space Ishtar the only servant in the game with an anti-star noble phantasm.

100% agree w the foreign class being primarily dedicated to the lovecraft gods being dumb as hell btw. Ik voyager’s og class was meant to also be voyager but making him a foreigner was literally one of the smartest things they’ve ever done in that regards. I’d also agree on arceuid but I also think moon cancer works really well for her and I’m of the opinion bb of all people does not deserve to have that class all to herself. Foreigner really should be for any concept that is ‘extraterrestrial/foreign’ in nature, which would give them a lot more room to play with- you could class gods, concepts, theories under it and not fuckin. Have to make it the tentacle plothole class

Dumbest thing about sefar (besides the fact that she’s immune to and can absorb every attack that isn’t purely physical/represents a concept/has any sort of intelligence or technique behind it but was defeated by Excalibur which is?? A beam of light??? That was developed to represent a specific concept??And also apparently no one tried doing something like that to her previously??) is the fact that using her as an excuse for the gods being shadows of themselves doesn’t even make sense on a lot of timelines bc she apparently came to earth ~12,000bc. If this is accurate to the phh timeline as it is to the extella ones then she arrived in earth before humans domesticated goats. Forget destroying gods civilization had barely started then?? Humans 100% existed and had started societies, but the ones that the writers are thinking of-Greece, Japan, China, were mostly populated by hunter-gather tribes who were still developing things like agriculture and domesticating various animals. The oldest Egyptian dynasty was in 3100 BCE! Mesopotamia was also first recorded around 3100 bce, how the hell is she defeating gods from societies that don’t even exist yet? How is this supposed to work??

And even if we ignore this plothole and just assume that she showed up around when Atlantis was destroyed in phh like they mention in lb5, (which according to the guy who invented it, Plato, was 9,000 years before his time-forget that Greek society didn’t exist then) that would still put her arrival at around 9400 bce, it would STILL be way too early for any of the classical gods the writers were thinking of to have shown up (unless they actually went into the Old old dieties) because AGAIN it was still Paleolithic societies in a lot of places-ameratsu or her early equivalent might potentially be possible as an opponent but Zeus? Even Mesopotamian gods? It is very unlikely!

It would be far more accurate if they just wrote sefar as a general busted op threat to budding civilizations that needs to be overcome by actual humans if they wanted to keep the timeline where it was :// there’s already plenty of (both good and bad) reasons why gods didn’t get involved in every single conflict and they could’ve created a better one.

#this is where you realize I’m a nerd #my asks

[k00282388]

Research...

Epilepsy is caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain (discovery made by Hans Berger 1924). Epilepsy is a chronic noncommunicable disease of the brain that affects people of all ages. Around 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, making it one of the most common neurological diseases globally. People with epilepsy often have problems with unemployment, healthcare and social ostracism which can lead to mental health problems.

In the past people with epilepsy have been killed, victims to exorcisms, locked in mental institutions, unallowed to marry, encouraged to be sterilised, and denyed service from public facilities in America well into the 1970s. The first evidence of epilepsy was recorded on an old Akkadian tablet 4000years ago that described it as evil spirits entering the body. The Akkadian empire was the first ancient empire of Mesopotamia. The Ancient Egyptians believed that the cause was due to cortical disruption and Ancient Chinese texts from 770-221 BC reveals that acupuncture was used as a cure.

Epilepsy has been believed to be witchcraft, a sacred disease inflicted by the gods, contagious, bad karma from your ancestors, special abilities used to cure the ill, sickness due to a mother's neglect and an attempt by demons to pull you down to the underworld.Many exorcisms have been conducted on people with epilepsy famously in 1976 with Annelise Michel. Her story was adapted into a film called 'The Exorcism of Emily Rose'. Features of epilepsy have believed to be insanity, violent madness, murderous tendencies, moral depravity, hyperreligiousilty, hypergraphia and hyposexuality. In the 5th century. The school of Hippocrates discovered that the disease wasn't sacred or special and believed that it was curable. They discovered it was a neurological disorder and discovered it was hereditary as opposed to contagious.

Epilepsy is mentioned in three of the four gospels of the Bible (Matthew mark and Luke). Mark chapter 9 describes how Jesus cured a lunatic of demonic possession. It was believed that cures involved religious rituals and spiritual interventions or shoving people through a natural opening eg. through a hole in a tree. Christina the Astonishing was buried alive after people believing her to be dead after a seizure. She wasn't the only religious figure to have been believed to suffer from epilepsy, others include Joan of arc, St Paul, St Cecilia and St Teresa of Avila. Some people believed that St Teresa of Avila suffered from temporal lobe epilepsy (Vincent Van Gogh is also speculated to have had this type of epilepsy). The temporal lobe is located at the front of the brain and is responsible for processing emotions and the storage of short term memory. These seizures often bring auras, hallucinations, intense emotions like pain and pleasure. This theory might explain St Teresa's visions and writings. Epilepsy can often cause hyperreligiousity as many have spiritual experiences.

From this research I've found that throughout history people have constantly debated whether epilepsy is demonic or divine?

[kashifqureshico]

Tracing the Arc of Property: A Historical Odyssey through Real Estate Evolution

Real estate, an essential facet of contemporary society, has a riveting historical evolution that spans across civilizations, epochs, and cultural landscapes. From its embryonic stages in ancient societies to the multifaceted digital era, the concept of property ownership has undergone a profound metamorphosis. Understanding the historical underpinnings of real estate unveils a captivating narrative that illuminates its pivotal role in shaping societal structures and economic paradigms.

Ancient Foundations of Property Ownership

The seeds of real estate and property ownership were sown in ancient civilizations. Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt serve as the cradles where the notion of land ownership was birthed. These societies delineated lands, granting titles and establishing the rudiments of property rights. The concept of land demarcation and ownership became pivotal, laying the cornerstone for future property practices.

Roman Influence and Property Laws

The Romans, known for their meticulous organizational skills, shaped property laws with precision. Employing rigorous land surveys and legal documentation, they fortified the concept of property ownership. The Romans' engineering marvels further underscored the importance of property development and urban planning, setting precedents that echoed through centuries.

Feudal Estates and Middle Ages

The feudal era during the Middle Ages was characterized by the dominance of feudal estates, vast tracts of land governed by lords and nobles. The societal structure was built around these estates, with serfs and peasants tilling the lands in exchange for protection, marking a distinct epoch in property relations.

Colonization and Land Acquisition

As the age of exploration unfolded and new territories were discovered, colonization emerged, signifying an era of land acquisition and territorial expansion. This period witnessed the establishment of property systems, land grants, and colonial territories, significantly shaping the global landscape of real estate.

Industrial Revolution and Urbanization

The Industrial Revolution acted as a catalyst for urbanization and industrial growth, necessitating accommodations for the burgeoning workforce and rapid urban expansion. This period marked the integration of labor, land, and capital, redefining property dynamics and urban landscapes.

20th-Century Dynamics and Modern Real Estate Frameworks

The 20th century witnessed transformative shifts in real estate practices. Mortgage systems, zoning regulations, and the emergence of skyscrapers became emblematic of modern property frameworks and urban planning. The century laid the groundwork for contemporary property norms and regulatory measures.

21st-Century Paradigms in the Digital Age

In the 21st century, the digital revolution reshaped real estate practices. Globalization and technological advancements introduced virtual property tours, blockchain-based transactions, and smart city initiatives, revolutionizing the sector and presenting new opportunities and challenges.

Conclusion: Real Estate's Enduring Legacy

The historical trajectory of real estate mirrors the evolution of civilization itself. It encapsulates cultural values, economic prowess, and societal aspirations. Unraveling its historical underpinnings offers profound insights into the contemporary property realm, illuminating its continued significance.

This historical evolution of real estate, spanning millennia, showcases its enduring legacy—a testament to its intrinsic role in shaping societies and economies worldwide.

An Invitation to Connect and Flourish

I extend a heartfelt invitation—engage, interact, and become part of this transformative journey. Like, share, comment, and subscribe to become a cornerstone of a community united by learning, exploration, and collective growth.

Digital Connections: A Labyrinth of Networks

Connect with me across a digital labyrinth—kashifqureshi.co, Blogger, Facebook, Instagram, Medium, Bloglovin', Tumblr, Reddit, Quora, Twitter, Youtube, and Linkedin. Let's traverse this digital expanse together.

Thank you for being an integral part of this profound odyssey.

Warm Regards, Kashif Qureshi

[perfecttenth]

The God of Harmony's possible Mythological Inspirations

Just like how Choujin Enma and the Choujin Graveyard seem to have been somewhat based on the Japanese Buddhist concept of hell, The God of Harmony also may have been based on a real-world deity.

While rereading some of this arc's matches, the ring used for the Buffaloman vs. The One fight caught my attention, especially with how Buffa takes the time to comment on how intricately it's designed when compared to the rings used for all the prior matches.

On one hand, the multiple levels and staircase make it look like just some generic temple structure, but on the other hand, it looks elaborate enough to have been based on a real world monument, which are pretty commonly used as wrestling rings in this manga anyway. It wasn't until I looked at the Mythological context section of the Tower of Babel's Wikipedia article that I found a match: The Etemenanki, a ziggurat constructed during Babylonian times that now only exists as ruins near Baghdad, Iraq.

Iraq also happens to be where the Tower of Babel is located in the story, as it is commonly believed that it was located in ancient Babylon (since that is also where the original bible passage kind of implies where it was built). Due their many similarities, the Etemenanki is often considered to be the inspiration for the biblical story of the Tower of Babel, moreso as the actual tower itself rather than just a single compartment on the upper floors.

What makes this ziggurat notable however is the fact that it is dedicated to the Mesopotamian patron god of Babylon known as Marduk. If you recall, The One specifically referred to the ring in the story as his "very own":

Some similarities can be found between The One and Marduk. The name Marduk can be literally translated as "calf of the sun" or "bull-calf of Utu":

And while The One's name doesn't reflect that, he is revealed to be Buffaloman's ancestor, having created the Buffalo Clan. He himself retains the clan-typical bovine horns on his helmet. Marduk is usually, but not always depicted with a horned crown, which symbolized divinity among mesopotamian figures. The particular style of horns on these crown is speculated to have been derived from an extinct breed of cattle that was once prolific in Mesopotamia, which are also considered to be the wild ancestor of modern domestic cattle. Other japanese properites like housamo and Kamihime Project (potential nsfw warning) tend to depict Marduk as either a bovine or having horns too.

Another possible parallel is The One's bird, Laplace. Marduk is frequently depicted standing next to or riding on a hybrid creature referred to as a "Mušḫuššu", primarily known for being the companion animal of this deity. Not all features of the Mušḫuššu can be seen on Laplace, but they share some characteristics such as eagle talons, spikes as well as a long tail and neck.

In fact, Laplace bears a closer resemblance to Anzû, a massive avian monster that is instead regarded as the companion of another, older god known as Enlil.

This is where things get complicated: Most of these features, except for the Etemenanki which is solely attributed to Marduk, appear to be qualities that were taken from the original chief deity of the Sumerian pantheon, Enlil. At some point during the reign of Hammurapi I., Marduk would replace the latter as the head of the pantheon and many of Enlil's traits would now be attributed to him. There are some exclusive similarities between Enlil and The One that can't be found in Marduk.

Enlil plays a significant role in the Atrahasis Epic, which is one of three known Mesopotamian Flood Myths. You can read analyses of the epic here and here and a translation of the Flood Section here, but here's a summary of it:

After many years of progress and fruitfulness, Enlil is annoyed by the noise of mankind and sends three plagues to reduce their numbers. King Atrahasis appeals to the god Enki, who aides him in his and his people's survival. Enlil then persuades the other gods to join him in sending a flood to earth which will completely wipe out the human beings. Enki is forced to swear an oath not to interfere with the destruction, but manages to warn Atrahasis and tells him to build an ark to save his family along with every type of animal. Atrahasis and the rest of the ark's passengers make it out in time, and once it's revealed to the gods that they survived, Enki proposes a more humane plan for dealing with the problem of human overpopulation: Human fertility and lifespans would be decreased, along with giving them daily opportunites for dying from different causes.

It should be noted that many cultures throughout history had their own flood myths, however the Atrahasis Epic is generally considered to be the first and oldest one, and is said to have served as the basis for Noah's Ark. Considering that the mesopotamian variant is one of the most influential and better known ones, it's plausible that this rendition is the one Yudetamago used to build the current premise of The One's conflict with The Man over the fate of choujin back in heaven. It's not a perfect match, but many sections of this particular version line up rather well with The Man's retelling of events that led to the usage of the Capillaria Rays.

The One (Enlil) advocates for the erasure of all choujin (humanity) after losing faith in them, but he is opposed by his fellow god The Man (Enki) who holds onto his hope. The majority of gods agree with The One, and he constructs the Capillaria Ray emitter (flood) in order to eradicate the choujin.

I'm struggling with finding someone to compare to Atrahasis, though. I'd say that in this case, instead of being represented by a single person, he is instead represented by the ten choujin The Man ended up saving and adopting as his own students. If you look at the Gilgamesh version of the myth, Atrahasis and his wife are granted god-like immortality, which would line up with the Perfect Origin were granted eternal life by The Man:

It's strange that they'd chose Mesopotamian mythology of all things as the foundation of this arc, but this wouldn't be the first time that Yudetamago based one of their stories entirely on elements from another culture (see Tatakae Ramenman and Kickboxer Mamoru). Fittingly enough, somebody recently pointed out that the symbols on The Dominator's shoulder pads resemble cuneiform, mostly likely Neo-Assyrian:

Maybe Yudetamago intended the change from The God of Harmony to The One to parallel the transition from Enlil to Marduk, or he's supposed to resembles only one of them, or maybe i'm completely wrong about all this and The One had nothing to do with them in the first place. Feel free to correct me or give me a reality check.

#肉 #kinnikuman spoilers #i wrote this over a month ago and i cant be bothered to work on it anymore so heres this